Entertainment Beat

The series of concerts celebrating the violin – titled, appropriately enough, The Violin – is returning to the East End on Jan. 26 for the fifth instalment.

Charlotte NedigerPHOTO: Sian Richards

Julia Wedman, baroque violin, and Charlotte Nediger, harpsichord, will keep things traditional with a J.S. Bach recital, featuring Bach’s Sonata in B Minor for Harpsichord and Violin, BWV 1014, Sonata in C Major for Violin, BWV 1005, Sarabande in E Minor, from Partita no. 6 for Harpischord, BWV 830 and Sonata in G Major for Violin and Continuo, BWV 1021.

The concert takes place at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 26 at Seicho-No-Ie Toronto Centre, 662 Victoria Park Ave., just north of Danforth. Tickets are $20 or $10 for students, or free for children under 12. Bring along a non-perishable food item for the Daily Bread Food Bank. Proceeds of the concert will go to the centre’s new roof project.

For more information, call 416-690-8686 or email snitoronto@rogers.com.

blueVenus, also known as Andrea deBoer, is planning a tour down under with Australian singer-songwriter (and sometimes Beacher) Marta Pacek.

The two first shared a stage at Feather’s Pub late last year. They hit it off, and next thing she knew, deBoer was working out the logistics of touring with her four-year-old child.

To celebrate – and help fund – the upcoming tour, a local date has been arranged. blueVenus and Pacek will be joined by more local support, including Lily Frost and other guests, at Castro’s Lounge, 2116 Queen St. E., at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 1.

Holiday Rambler

Feast inthe East, a monthly music, food and art installation series, returns to Gerrard Art Space, 1390 Gerrard St. E. between Coxwell and Greenwood, on Saturday, Feb. 1. The series was started to highlight some of the cutting edge creativity happening in the East End.

This edition will feature a vegan mac and cheese dinner by Harmonie Ainsley and Mary Duthie. Artistic environs will be provided by Henri Fabergé.

The all-ages show gets underway at 8 p.m., ending by 11 p.m. Tickets are $8 in advance with dinner, available from The Film Buff at Queen and Greenwood, Cask Music at Queen and Pape or Circus Books and Music at Danforth and Jones, or $10 at the door.

Beach UnitedChurch is hosting another edition of its Music for the Soul: Beach Jazz and Reflection on Saturday, Feb. 1.

Guitarist David Occhipinti will be joined by trumpet player Jim Lewis and double bass player-cellist Andrew Downing. All three are composers and members of the Bristles Trio, which recently released the Bristles CD, a collection of six jazz standards and six free improvisations dedicated to painters.

David Occhipinti

Occhipinti has been nominated for two Juno awards, and his 2012 album Camera earned high praise from recently deceased jazz guitar legend Jim Hall, who called Occhipinti’s playing on the album “completely original and stunning.”

Jim Lewis

Lewis is a lecturer at the University of Toronto, regularly plays Toronto jazz clubs and has played festivals throughout North America and Europe.

Downing’s current projects include a collaboration with a Turkish ud player on an album of Ottoman classical music, a collaboration with a songwriter and visual artist as well as a seven-piece chamber ensemble which plays live scores for silent films. He has won two Junos, two West Coast Music Awards, a SOCAN award and the Grand Prix de Jazz at the Montreal Jazz Festival.

The music gets underway at 4:30 p.m. There is no cover charge, but a freewill offering will be collected. For more on Music for the Soul, see beachunitedchurch.com. For more on the musicians, see davidocchipinti.com or andrewdowning.com.

Acoustic Harvest presents Dave Gunning on Saturday, Feb. 1. The East Coast-based singer-songwriter may be best known of late as the co-writer of the new Hockey Night in Canada theme song A Game Going On, written with David Francey.

Dave Gunning

His Irish- and Scottish-tinged country folk can be heard on 10 albums, including his latest, No More Pennies. For more on Gunning, visit davegunning.com.

The show takes place at St. Nicholas Anglican Church’s Robinson Hall, 1512 Kingston Rd., just east of Warden, at 7:30 p.m. Admission is $22 in advance through acousticharvest.ca, or $25 at the door. The venue is wheelchair accessible. For more information, call 416-264-2235.

Kenny Robinson

As part of the Toronto Public Library’s Black History Month series, a Canadian living comedy legend will be appearing at the Main Street library branch on Feb. 5. From 7 to 8 p.m., the “Fabulous Kenny Robinson” will offer a family-friendly set guaranteed to earn a smile from the most jaded of listeners.

Robinson is a two-time Gemini nominee, has twice been named comic of the year by NOW Magazine and hosts the Nubian Disciples All-Black Comedy Revue at Yuk Yuks. He’s shared the stage with household names including Chris Rock, Dave Chappelle, Jim Carrey, Norm McDonald, Russell Peters, Tommy Chong, Margaret Cho, Phyllis Diller and the late, great Sam Kinison.

Space for the library performance is limited. Tickets will be given out beginning at 6:45 p.m.

Those who miss the voice that used to greet them when calling this newspaper’s office should mark down Wednesday, Feb. 5 in their calendars.

B2, Bill MacLean and Brian StevensPHOTO: Erwin Buck

Bill MacLean, former arts and entertainment writer and the unofficial voice of Beach Metro News for many years, will be performing with musical partner Brian Stevens as B2 at Gate 403 in the West End. This is the duo’s first club performance in quite some time (although they did appear at Beach United Church’s Music for the Soul series late last year).

The show runs through the dinner hour, from 5 to 8 p.m., so dinner reservations would be wise. To reserve or browse the menu, visit gate403.com, or call 416-588-2930.

B2 have also just released their debut CD, B2 Live, which will be available at the show. For more information, visit b2music.ca.

The MarkEisenmanTrio will be appearing for a three day residency at Toronto’s newest jazz club, Jazzbistro, on Feb. 6, 7 and 8.

The trio, which includes Steve Wallace on bass and John Sumner on drums, was established more than 25 years ago, and pianist Eisenman is excited to perform on “the best piano heard in any local club in decades, a Steinway B,” in what he considers one of the best jazz venues that’s ever existed in the city.

For more on Eisenman, see jazzpiano.ca. For more info on the venue and the shows, visit jazzbistro.ca/event/mark-eisenman-trio.

Relish Barand Grill offers live music pretty much every night of the week, at 2152 Danforth Ave., just east of Woodbine.

Monday nights see Bentroots take the stage. Tuesdays finish up with Kiki Karaoke, while Wednesday nights feature The BTBs.The Danger Bees play Friday nights, and Sunday nights locals get their chance to shine with the Stir It Up open mic event.

Other performers coming up include Steve Raiken on Tuesday, Jan. 21, Alun Piggins on Saturday, Jan. 25, Liane Fainsinger for jazz brunch on Sunday, Jan. 26, Ike Cedar and the Day Drinkers on Thursday, Jan. 30 and The Grooves on Saturday, Feb. 1.